The Promise of the Roses
by Solitaryrose
Summary: A story that deals with the coming of a new student in Ohtori and what happens while she stays... and it is NOT a retelling of Utena in Ohtori! It is similar yet different in its own way... my first series ever and I'm still continuing it. The beginning i
1. A Bewitching Stranger

"The Promise of the Roses"  
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena fan-fiction by Solitary_rose  
  
Part 1: A Bewitching Stranger  
  
Kyoko Yamada leaned on the smooth banister of the stairs. She peered out into the colossal hallway of Ohtori Academy. She was transferred to this new, exclusive academy from her old school in Nagasaki. It wasn't as if she was going to enjoy it, though. As she listened to the vapid chatter of the girls and the boisterous laughter of the boys, she wondered if she would make any friends at all. It was hard enough, with her reclusive personality, but it didn't seem like anyone even noticed her. Her pale pink hair, put into a long ponytail, normally stood out enough. Just then, the hall quieted down to an unusual silence. Kyoko leaned even further against the railing to see what the cause was.  
Against the light stood a woman in her mid-twenties, wearing a coral-pink coat and a matching beret. The dark skin and purple hair that hung down her back in smooth waves were odd enough, but her eyes made Kyoko flinch. They were a sharp, emerald green that would have glowed if the hall were completely dark. And, they locked with Kyoko's. As soon as the woman saw Kyoko, her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a slight gape. However, Kyoko had no time as to figure out why this woman was so intrigued by her, because right after, a tall man came strolling over.   
"Anthy! W-What a surprise! I don't remember you sending a letter that said you would come to visit..." The dean of Ohtori greeted the woman with a forced smile. Kyoko assumed that something must be wrong, since the dean was a calm, practical person who never worried.   
"Yes, Akio. I didn't think that it would be necessary to send one. I attended this school, too. I believe that I have the right to visit anytime I like. After all, you are my big brother." Anthy replied nonchalantly, while at the same time still holding Kyoko's apprehensive gaze. Kyoko wished to look away, but something told her not to.   
"Anthy, why have you come?"  
"Big brother, I would like to speak with a student in this school."  
"Anthy, that's completely irrational. The child must attend class; you know that. You can speak some other time."  
"Akio, I want to speak now. It's necessary. Alone."  
"A-Anthy... you sound just like her. What has she done to you?"  
"Nothing. She merely saved me from you. Don't insult her. So, let me speak now."  
"Anthy..." Akio was starting to look worried. Cautiously glancing at the tentative students listening in the hall, he grimaced and told his sister, "As you wish."  
Anthy smiled sweetly, and walked over to Kyoko. Kyoko felt like bolting. She figured that the woman was coming towards her, because she was looking at her, of course. Anthy held out her hand to Kyoko, and whispered, just so that she could hear, "Come with me. I know a beautiful place here." The poor girl had no idea of what to do. The thought of following a creepy stranger to some even stranger place shocked her. Still, she did as she was told, and followed Anthy anxiously.   
Kyoko followed Anthy through winding roads and paths of Ohtori that she didn't even know existed. At last, they ended in a secluded cage-like glass greenhouse. Anthy sighed wistfully, and said, "Oh, dear. I guess Akio hasn't been able to find anyone to tend the roses. Look how dreadfully high the weeds are. She would be so upset." Confused, Kyoko looked up at her, and inquired, "She??"  
"Yes. You look just like her. The same noble blue eyes, and the same lovely pink hair." Anthy responded softly, with a glassy sheen in her eyes. Confused even more, Kyoko pressed, "Who? Nobody in our family has pink hair." Giving Kyoko a mortified stare, and after a moment, Anthy gasped, "You don't even know her?"  
"Who??" Kyoko nearly yelled from frustration.   
"Utena Tenjou. You don't know her?"   
"My aunt mentioned her once. She supposedly disappeared in eighth grade."  
Anthy gave a stifled sob. "No. She didn't disappear. She went on to a new world. She -" the sentence was broken off by Anthy's sudden, racking sobs. Kyoko looked down, not wanting to see the other's grief. She had already seen enough. She didn't want to ever see it again.  
"Should I just take my leave now?" Questioned Kyoko softly. Anthy shook her head quickly, and looked up again. Flashing Kyoko a small grin, she murmured, "It's all right. I miss her, that's all. I know that you are related to her. You look really alike."  
"Well, my aunt said that she either died or eloped. And you said that she went on to a new world. No offense or anything, but that doesn't sound right," Kyoko sighed, "I'm not sure how I'm related to her. She could be a family friend, for all I know. It would be impossible to trace the family roots. It's the first time I've ever heard her name."  
"Utena Tenjou? She's a princess! She'll be easy to find in the records. And her family, too." Anthy looked pleased with herself. "After you attend class, why don't you look in the library's records? She should be in there somewhere. Meet me at the dueling arena. Please."  
"Uh, sure. See you soon." Kyoko uttered with a wave as she walked towards class. Dueling arena? Never had she heard of it. Sighing, she thought of how ignorant she was of the school. Turning the fast walk into a run, she sped towards her classroom, school-case in hand.   



	2. An Unknown Past

Part 2: An Unknown Past  
  
Groaning, Kyoko shoved her lunch into her mouth as she sat by herself in the magnificent cafeteria. So far, life was not pleasant. Her classmates, in her view, were all complete dolts, with the exception of perhaps two or three. She remembered the one boy who stared at her the whole three periods, even while the professors exchanged classrooms. Sure, he was good looking, but did he have to stare like that??? Heaving another groan, she drank down her cup of tea. As soon as she was done, she would run off to the library, away from everyone. And, especially, away from Keisuke Itoh.   
Leafing through old newspapers from the mid-eighties, Kyoko could not find a thing about Utena Tenjou. She was almost ready to give up until a yellowed sheet shoved beneath a large box caught her eye. Shoving aside the box, she saw a newspaper with the title "Girl Found in Coffin: Suicide Attempt?" The picture under the title clearly was a picture of Kyoko when she was eight years old. However, she certainly didn't live during this period. As Kyoko squinted closely at the fine print, she noticed the caption of the photo. Utena Tenjou. Kyoko gasped. Scanning through the article, she eventually found something shocking. One of the people that were interviewed was her mother.   
"Sakura Kaoru? That's Mother..." Kyoko trailed off as she sensed a shadow approaching. What kind of annoying idiot was it now? In her old school, she sure attracted a lot of people, but none of them was bold enough to really declare their love for her. Sighing audibly, she turned around.  
"Hello, Kyoko!" Keisuke Itoh beamed with an "I-caught-you-now" look on his face. Kyoko greeted him less kindly. She couldn't ever have a moment of peace, could she?  
"Keisuke, please, I would rather that you didn't bother me right now."  
"You know, you should be pleased that I'm paying attention to you. You don't know how many girls are crowding around the library windows."  
"Well, why don't you go greet them, instead? And leave me alone?" Kyoko felt a bit guilty being so rude, but what could she do? She wanted him gone.  
"You underestimate the weight my words carry around here."  
"You know what? I don't give a damn. If you have to bother me, do it tomorrow."  
"You could be the queen of the campus if you were with me. Even if you appeared by my side, it would still boost your popularity."  
"I know what you're saying, okay? I know how unpopular I am. I like it that way, UNDERSTAND?" Kyoko felt her patience wearing away. If this unpleasant little vermin didn't leave soon, she would give him a taste of her fist.  
"Kyoko, you hate change, don't you?" Keisuke had an incredulous look on his face.  
"What's your freaking problem? How annoying can one little stupid rodent get?" If Keisuke didn't leave soon, Kyoko was going to kick him, as well as punch him. She waved her fist menacingly.   
"All right, all right, I'm going!" Keisuke backed off warily, eyeing Kyoko's fist. "But   
I'll be back..." Kyoko gave the boy a furious glare, and then turned back to her newspaper article. Why was it hidden like that? Then, she remembered the look on Akio's face when he and Anthy were discussing Utena (or so it seemed). He was tense, as if she was a danger to him. This school is so baffling, Kyoko thought. How many mysteries were she supposed to solve? And where in the world was the Dueling Arena?  
Huffing and puffing, Kyoko ran, trying to find the Dueling Arena, and at the same time, trying to escape the mob of girls chasing after her with clubs in their hands.   
"How dare you treat Keisuke-sama like that!"  
"Don't you know how mean you're being?"  
"You witch! You bitch!"  
"You're-you're frigid!!!!"  
Glancing backwards worriedly, Kyoko ran faster. Throwing back a quick glance, she retorted, "Just shut up, all of you! That boy's brainwashed all of you. Jeez, you are all so stupid!" The mob became angrier and waved their clubs higher. One maniac screamed a war cry. Gulping, Kyoko pushed her legs to the limit as she jumped over a high fence and ended up landing all mangled on a bush. The furious Keisuke-fan club yelled their triumph and after much gloating, stalked away. Uttering a string of dirty words, Kyoko pushed herself back up.   
"Where the heck am I?" She asked herself as she laid her eyes on a large mass of dark trees. "I didn't know that there was a forest in this school. Oh well, might as well go in. For all I know, those obsessed idiots could run out of people to mob and decide to come back for me." She slowly walked into the heart of the forest.   
However, as she got deeper and deeper into the forest, she suddenly encountered a circular stone platform with a small bridge-like path connecting it to the trail she was walking upon. The strange thing was, it was floating upon water. At the head of the platform was an eerie gate. It was opened, and at the top of it was a rose; the rose that was the school signet.   



	3. The Dueling Arena

Part 3: The Dueling Arena  
  
As Kyoko reached the top of the winding spiral stairs that protruded from the stone path she followed earlier, she was surprised to find a black, ebony stone platform. The whole place defied gravity. The stairs were slanted, with a platform at the top! It didn't make any sense.   
"There used to be a beautiful castle up there," Anthy's light, soft voice traveled to Kyoko's ears. She whirled around, and saw Anthy sitting on the edge of the platform enclosure, as calm as a rock. Or, rather, as dead as a rock. Her entire face was pale, and her eyes were glassy again. Having been just pursued by a bunch of rabid girls, Kyoko was quite paranoid at the moment. She was almost positive that Anthy, too, would immediately jump upon her, screaming, "You were mean to Keisuke-sama! You will pay!!!!!!!!!!!!" Suppressing a shiver, Kyoko tiptoed towards the pallid woman.   
"It came down after she left. Akio said that it wasn't, but I knew what it was," Anthy murmured slightly. Kyoko was confused. What in the world was Anthy talking about? And, if she didn't stop rocking like that soon, she would topple right off of the ledge. She strolled over to hold her in case she did.  
"Um... are you all right, miss Anthy?" Kyoko inquired nervously. She walked closer to Anthy, who was still rocking like a... rocking chair.   
"The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse. The Revolution of the World. She brought them all."  
"Uh... miss Anthy?"  
Suddenly, Anthy awoke from her coma. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was recollecting past memories." Anthy shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Forgive me, Utena." Kyoko flashed a sympathetic smile, and grinned, "I'm Kyoko. Remember?"  
"Oh! No, don't lie, Utena, please." Anthy had a sad look.   
"No, seriously. I look like Utena, I know. But, I'm Kyoko! Utena's cousin!"  
"Kyoko...?" Anthy looked clearly baffled. "Oh!!! Kyoko! I remember now!"  
Kyoko sweat dropped, and wondered if Anthy would always be like this. It really was quite annoying to speak to a person who had occasional fits of amnesia, along with comas. She sighed, and said, " Anthy? I found the article about Utena. It was when she was a child, and found in a coffin. You were right. I am related. My mother was Utena's oldest first cousin."  
"Yes. If Utena hadn't hid in the coffin, I would never be like this now. I would still be in the coffin, with swords pinned to my sides. Yes."   
"The strange thing is, however, the newspaper was hidden. Or, rather, someone was attempting to hide it. Who would it be?"  
"Akio. He's trying to hide the legacy of Utena. Even a few months after Utena disappeared, nobody remembered her. How could they forget her? She was their idol until she went on to a new world."  
"A new world? You keep mentioning that, but what are you talking about?"  
Anthy suddenly swirled around to face Kyoko. "I can't tell you. You will go there yourself one day. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Then, she abruptly turned around and said more softly, "In truth, even I've never been there. I just know that she is in an eternal sleep. Where, I do not know."  
"Wait a second... you just said that I will be going there someday... can you, er, explain that a little more? What do you mean, I have to go there?!" Kyoko looked suspicious as the truth of Anthy's words dawned upon her.   
As if she wished to change the subject, Anthy exclaimed briskly, "Oh, here! Akio asked me to give this to you. I forgot all about it! Ha, silly me!" She reached inside one of her coat pockets and pulled out a small envelope sealed with a red rose seal. Kyoko sweat-dropped again. So, Anthy was a person who got struck by amnesia often, huh? She cautiously leaned over and peered at the envelope. As she took it in her hands, she noticed that the seal was the same as the school's rose signet and the engraving on the gate near the spiral stairs. What was up with this school and roses? Unfortunately, she didn't have time to think this over, either, because as soon as she took it, Anthy urged her, "Open it!" Carefully, Kyoko peeled the seal off. Then, pulling out the letter inside, she read it. Strangely, it was simply:  
  
Dear Miss Kyoko Yamada:  
  
You are therefore invited to the first meeting of the Ohtori Student Council, at 7:00 a.m. promptly. Please attend on time. The Ends of the World and the fellow Student Council awaits you. As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting.   
  
The Ohtori Student Council /Ends of the World  
  
Puzzled, Kyoko read it over again for a secret message. There was something creepy about the letter. Maybe it was the part where it read: "As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting." It was almost like a threat. Almost amused now, Kyoko thought of what would happen if she didn't. Would the president of the Ohtori Student Council sneak into her dorm at night and chug poison down her throat? She imagined herself getting up the next morning and falling over on the floor with a blue-green face, dead. Nah, this scenario was too stupid. So was the idea of them hiring a group of ninja-assassins to stab her while sleeping. She banished these idiotic thoughts from her head and concerned herself with trying to find the hidden meaning in the letter.   
"Don't even think about skipping. They'll find you. They will. They hold authority in this school. If you break one of their rules, you shall be expelled. Even she couldn't evade them. That was how she became this way." Anthy answered the exact question that Kyoko was thinking of at the moment. Damn, Kyoko thought. No use in even trying to skip it, then.   
"And, be sure to be up extra early. You'll need time to change in the uniform that will arrive exactly an hour before the meeting." Anthy finished off the conversation. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. We won't meet here. It'll be too risky. But, we'll meet, I guarantee you. Good-bye, Kyoko." Anthy waved. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. What was Anthy waving right now for? She hadn't even budged yet. However, she took this as a signal, and started to walk down the stairs. It looked like Anthy wanted her gone quickly, too. Now even more confused than before, Kyoko furrowed her brow.   
As soon as she stepped inside of her dorm room, Kyoko remembered something. Where in the world was the Student Council meeting going to be?!  



	4. The Student Council of Ohtori

Part 4: The Student Council of Ohtori  
  
Ding-Dong!   
"Goddammit, what is it now?!" Kyoko mumbled furiously as she turned under her covers. A second later, she remembered. Springing from her bed abruptly, she rushed to the door.   
"Good day, miss! Here is a package for you, miss Kyoko Yamada, from the Ohtori Student Council." The Ohtori delivery boy beamed as he handed the still drowsy Kyoko a neat, crisp package. Flashing a pretty smile, Kyoko took the package from the ten-year-old, and slammed the door. First blushing, and then having a flat face after being whacked by the door, the poor boy just stood there for a few minutes. Then, he left.   
"What kind of crazy person delivers at six o'clock in the morning? And these Student Council Members... What a bunch of nutty morning misers..." Kyoko grumbled as she yanked off the top of the firmly secured white cardboard box. However, her mutters were cut off as she saw her uniform.   
"Holy cow, how much money does the school have, just to make uniforms like this for every Student Council member?" Kyoko gasped. It was a set of a pair of brisk white pants and a whitish pink shirt. The pants would have been tight for any average person, but Kyoko, being the thin but tall girl she was, found that they fit quite snugly and comfortably on her. Also, the shirt was long-sleeved and had medium-sized white cuffs. There was a white pocket on the right side of it, and there were silver epaulets on it, as well. The collar was like the collar of a Chinese cheongsam, without the little buttons at the top. A broad white stripe went down the center of the shirt, with the silver buttons of the garment smack in the middle. Finally, a silk cord of a deep shade of pink came down from the right epaulet, made a dip, came through a little loop just a little under the first button, and dangled down. Once Kyoko had cleaned herself, put the uniform on, and faced the mirror, she looked every bit like a prince. Except that she was a female.   
Wandering around the main hallway of Ohtori Academy, Kyoko found that she still had half an hour left to discover the meeting place of the Ohtori Student Council. Her pondering was rudely broken by a familiar voice calling her name. Not you again, she thought.   
"Kyoko!" Keisuke's voice echoed in the empty hallway. "Guess you don't know where the Student Council meets, huh? I was assigned to take you there."  
"And how might you know where the-" Kyoko's annoyed remark broke off suddenly. "YOU'RE in the Student Council?!" She asked incredulously. "Ack!" She choked. What was an idiot like him doing in the elite Ohtori Student Council?   
"C'mon, don't be so shocked to see me. Cheer up a bit. You should meet the other members. This way." Keisuke beckoned Kyoko as he walked up a flight of spiral stairs. Kyoko grudgingly followed. She STILL didn't see why he was in it.   
After about five minutes of twists and turns, another three flights of stairs, and skillful maneuvering in strange hallways and rooms on Keisuke's part, the pair of Keisuke and Kyoko was led into a spacious, domed room. Pulling Kyoko along with him, Keisuke walked onto a balcony at other end of the room.  
Sitting at a circular table of white marble with curving, elegant legs supporting it were the four other members of the Ohtori Student Council. Kyoko looked from the unsmiling figures to Keisuke. Each and every one of them was wearing a uniform exactly like hers; only theirs were of different colored schemes that matched the color of their hair. Keisuke's was red with silver epaulets.   
"I am Megumi Kawashima, eleventh grader, captain of the Ohtori fencing team, and secretary of the Student Council," said a cold-looking girl with a long purple braid dangling down her back. Her voice was drawling and even cruel. Her reddish-purple eyes glared daggers at Kyoko. No need to be so pissy, Kyoko thought warily. She looked on to the boy next to Megumi.   
"Welcome, miss Kyoko. I'm Ryunosuke Himura, eighth grader, member of the fencing team and treasurer of the Student Council. I hope that we'll be good friends," a boy with deep blue hair tied back in a short horsetail smiled. He had soft, pale blue eyes that appeared friendly and youthful. Kyoko smiled back, glad that there was one person who didn't show their hostility openly.   
A boy with short pale green hair stood up from his chair and bowed low to Kyoko. "Glad that you could join us. I am Taketo Igarashi, tenth grader, captain of the Ohtori kendo team, and president of the Student Council," he introduced himself briskly. He got up from his bow and looked at Kyoko straight in the eyes. His dark purple eyes stared at her so intensely that it was unnerving. She flashed a nervous smile and moved on to the next person.  
"Tomoko Nekoi, tenth grader, member of the kendo team, and member of the Student Council," a girl with wavy maroon hair replied shortly, while at the same time fiddling with her hair. She appeared bored until she looked at Kyoko. As her maroon eyes scanned Kyoko's body, she scowled. Kyoko raised her eyebrows. Was this girl jealous or what?  
"And finally, me. Keisuke Itoh, eighth grader, vice-president of the Student Council, member of the fencing team. Miss Kyoko and I have already met. Why don't you introduce yourself to the others?" Keisuke added finally.   
"I'm Kyoko Yamada, eighth grader. I'm a transfer student, so I haven't really joined any clubs yet," Kyoko told the others with a weak smile.   
"Well, what CAN you do?" Megumi asked scornfully. "Can you fence? Do you do kendo? Knife-throwing? Staff fighting? Using a halberd or a saber?"   
"I was the Captain of the archery team in my old school. I can also throw knives."  
"That's it? You can't duel with arrows or knife throwing. Knives would kill us, miss Kyoko. There is a policy against that. Besides, let us see your skill. Yuriko! Bring us a set of stilettos or daggers and a bow and a set of arrows. Hurry." Megumi commanded to a person against the shadows. As if materializing out of thin air, the person in the darkness stepped out and replied with a curtsy, "As you wish, miss Megumi." Then, she walked into the tower to retrieve the items Megumi asked for. She treats her as if she were a possession, Kyoko thought angrily.   
A few moments later, the girl named Yuriko stepped onto the balcony and handed the objects asked for to Megumi with another curtsy. She took a step back to witness the scene. Kyoko eyed her curiously. Yuriko had extremely pale skin, and her hair was black with a tint of red, tied back in an elaborate bun fastened by silver pins. Her eyes were a profound tone of green, with a tint of azure. Her outfit was similar to Kyoko's and the other members', but it lacked sleeves. Also, it was completely white, with a thin red line going down the middle of the shirt. The shirt split into two sharp flaps at the bottom that were hemmed in crimson, as well. Underneath the shirt was a huge, flowing shirt of platinum white. On Yuriko's head was a silver crown, and thin silver epaulets topped her shoulders. Large white cuffs hung about her wrists.  
"We apologize, miss Kyoko, for not having introduced Yuriko Tsujitani earlier. She is the Rose Bride. Student Council members duel each other for possession of the Rose Bride," Ryunosuke answered Kyoko's questions without her saying anything. I wonder if the people at this school are all mind readers or something, Kyoko shook her head wonderingly. Then, another question was on her mind. "Why do you all fight for possession of Yuriko?" She asked.  
Ryunosuke looked as if he was going to tell her, but Tomoko interrupted him. "It's really none of your business. You'll have to figure it out yourself, unless that creepy woman has already told you." Creepy woman? What creepy woman? A split second later, Kyoko realized that she was talking about Anthy. She sweat dropped and thought, Even though it wouldn't be faithful to call her that, I have to agree that she is rather weird...   
"All right, newcomer. Show us your strength." Megumi's mocking voice sliced through the air. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, Kyoko and the rest of the Student Council were speeding through a dimensional vortex...   



	5. The Will of a Rose

Part 5: The Will of a Rose  
  
Kyoko looked all around her. She was in that Dueling Arena again... She recognized everything immediately. Suddenly, chaos swept all around her. Her mind was filled with pitch black, and a pain seared through her head. Then, she heard a voice.  
"No! Give me your hand!"  
  
"What are you doing? You don't know what will happen! You-"  
  
"Anthy!!!! Give me your hand!"  
  
The voices were so real, and so close... And the voice of the girl telling Anthy to take her hand... It must have been Utena. Right then, a sudden image of a girl that looked almost exactly like herself flashed in Kyoko's head. With that, a red line blazed through her line of vision, along with a horrible intense ripping in her mind. She screamed, and then fainted.   
"Kyoko! Kyoko! C'mon, wake up! Are you all right?!" Kyoko heard an urgent voice. The owner of this voice was shaking her, as well. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw the worried face of Keisuke peering at her intently. Realizing that he was holding her, she quickly slipped out of his hold. Trying to scowl (but failing since her head hurt so much), Kyoko dusted herself off and snapped, "I'm fine." Keisuke grinned ruefully and murmured, "Ha, guess you are fine, then. You're back to normal." Clenching her fists, Kyoko inquired suspiciously, "What do you mean? I'm not always a bitch like this."  
"Yeah, right." Keisuke laughed lightly. "Of course you aren't." Kyoko succeeded in making an angry face this time. Not that it appeared threatening, of course. In fact, Keisuke grinned again. Does he have to grin so much? It's nauseating, Kyoko said to herself.   
"Quit bickering! Let's start!" Megumi snarled menacingly. She clapped her hands twice, and Yuriko appeared almost magically, bearing a set of dangerous-looking stilettos. "Here. Take them, miss Kyoko. I do hope that you will not faint once again during this trial. Then, we might reconsider your joining," the older girl mocked. Kyoko returned Megumi's sneer and walked over to inspect the weapons.   
Lying on a square silk handkerchief were five slender stilettos. Each of them had a blade of high-quality steel that was nearly eight inches long. The handle on each was about two to three inches long, thin, and of a black metal engraved with rose carvings. Maneuvering them professionally in her right hand, Kyoko inspected them. No defects. She looked up at Megumi and asked, "What's the target?" With a gloating sort of smirk, the cold female pointed to a sword planted firmly in the floor of the stone platform. "Score all five stilettos in a perfectly straight line on the handle of that sword," she laughed, "Let's see you, miss Kyoko. Let's see your aim."  
"Miss Megumi, please! I doubt anybody would be able to do that," Ryunosuke gasped, shocked. "Don't try to give miss Kyoko a task that she can't do." Megumi whirled furiously upon the boy and laughed triumphantly, "If she can't do it, then she isn't worthy. So, MISS Kyoko, do you accept my challenge? You can always forfeit, but that would result in condescendence for you. What do you say?" She turned to Kyoko. Kyoko smirked inwardly. Megumi didn't know what she could do. "Sure," she smiled sweetly. After thanking Yuriko, she picked up all five stilettos and held them in expert positions in her right hand. She got ready to fling them against her target.   
With a triumphant smile plastered on her face, Kyoko put her hands on her hips and admired the best knife throwing that she had done in five seconds' time. Every single stiletto was lined up perfectly, and not one was out of place. The entire Student Council blinked nonstop for about a minute, and then Keisuke gave a cheer and clapped. Ryunosuke clapped along, too. After a while, Taketo did the same. Tomoko and Megumi stood there, unsmiling. Tomoko seemed bored, while Megumi was furious.   
"Count yourself in," Taketo turned to Kyoko and told her with a tiny grin. "That's the best knife throwing I have ever seen." Kyoko laughed it off and replied back, "That's the best you've seen? Then, you haven't seen much." Even more furious now, Megumi stepped forward and snarled, "Don't speak like that to Taketo. Besides, if we are to place you in, we have to make sure that your archery is as good as you say it is. Yuriko! Where's that bow? Hurry it up!" I didn't even say that I was good at archery, you bitch, Kyoko thought angrily.  
"Give it up, Megumi! You don't make all the rules, anyway. I just want this over with. Just let her join, jeez." Tomoko yawned while inspecting her nails. Kyoko almost smiled at the girl's bored appearance. Here she was, throwing knives, while SHE was fiddling with her hair and nails. Didn't she care about ANYTHING? What kind of LIFE did she lead?!  
"Shut up!" Megumi rounded on Tomoko with a fierce growl. Wild animal, Kyoko thought. At this point, Yuriko once again entered the Dueling Arena platform with a black bow in her hand and a quiver of twenty matching arrows. Both were slender, sleek, and of high quality.   
"Don't just stand there, Yuriko. Give them to her." Megumi commanded harshly. "Anyway, YOUR job, MISS Kyoko, is to fire all twenty arrows against the entrance of the Dueling Arena. See that arched entry? You must fire your arrows against that so they form the exact shape. I wish you BEST of luck." Right after saying this, she laughed wickedly.   
"Of course she's going to make it, you pissed off beast," Kyoko heard Keisuke say. "She's blessed by Dios. Dios will help whoever is to free him." Dios? Now, who in the world was that? Of course, she, once again, did not have time to ponder this, because Megumi barked, "Ready! Set, go!"  
"Shit," Kyoko muttered under her breath as she fired the arrows quickly. Megumi's voice was so unnerving that her first arrow missed the target completely. Upon seeing this, Megumi smiled. Although Taketo was the President, Megumi held the actual reins of power. Everyone was so freaked out by her that they just let her take control. Or so she thought.  
"Ha! You call this proficient in archery? You missed the target completely on your first arrow!" Megumi laughed harshly, "Why, I guess you won't be able to join, then. Isn't that right, Taketo?" She turned to face Taketo. Yes, he would bend to her will. Because he loved her.  
But this time, the President of the Student Council surprised her completely. Not even looking at Megumi, he announced, "Miss Kyoko Yamada, you are in." Megumi opened her mouth in an astonished gape, and then quickly closed it up. Storming over to Taketo, she snapped, "What do you think you are doing? This girl - she's not FIT; she's not GOOD ENOUGH to be in the Student Council!!!!! I-I-I don't understand!!!" Turning over to face Megumi, Taketo said with a slight tremor, "Are you the President? No, I am. I make the final decisions." Furious that she had been defied, the secretary of the Ohtori Student Council pointed a long, slender finger at Kyoko. Near to the point of screaming, she snarled, "I challenge you to a duel, Yamada. Right now. Right here. Give it all you've got, little miss pink-hair. I'll take back what's mine!"   
Nobody spoke for a minute. Then, Taketo broke the ice.   
"Megumi, this is very irrational. First of all, duels don't take place in the morning. You know why. Second, you must wait your turn. Your duel will one day come. Now, settle down and we will be leaving for our classes soon. If a duel takes place, wouldn't it cause you to be late?" He tried to reason with Megumi, but to no avail. Hearing Taketo's words, she stomped over to Kyoko, held her face tightly in her icy hands, and hissed, for Kyoko's ears only, "I'll be taking it back... Just you wait, Yamada!" And then, she left. Kyoko was still looking at the back of Megumi with furrowed brows. "I'll be taking it back... Just you wait!" There was something more to Megumi's hatred of Kyoko than her already sour personality... what was it?  
  
*****  
  
That night, Taketo sat with Ryunosuke and Keisuke at the study of his elegant home. All three of them sat with creased eyebrows, pondering about the new, pink-haired member of the Student Council. Finally, Ryunosuke spoke up. "What in the world was miss Megumi talking about when she told miss Kyoko she was taking back what was hers? And Taketo, would you please explain why you let miss Kyoko join against miss Megumi's will? You know how angry she will get. And, she's an excellent fencer."  
"The two girls will have to resolve that themselves," Keisuke answered with a laugh, "But I think, after the duel, we won't ever find out what Megumi truly wanted, because she will be gone from the school."  
"What do you mean, Keisuke?" Ryunosuke inquired cautiously. If Megumi were to get wind of this, most likely the evil girl would slit not only Keisuke's throat, but also his.   
"Don't you see? Megumi will have left the school in rage and defeat. Kyoko will defeat her, and all of us. She possesses the will" Keisuke was stopped by a poisoned dart that flew through an open window. With a strangled sort of choke, he fell forward from his chair and landed in Ryunosuke's lap.   
Ryunosuke gasped with horror. "Murder? Megumi? Was it her?" He asked a baffled Taketo. Taketo leaned forward and examined the dart lodged in Keisuke's shoulder blade. Testing it on his own finger, he sniffed it. "Poison," He muttered, "but not fatal. If we get him to rest and sleep a bit, he should be all right."  
Shaking his head, Ryunosuke sighed, "Oh Taketo, what has become of the Student Council? How could Megumi do such a thing?"  
"How do you know that it is Megumi?" Slitting his eyes, Taketo asked Ryunosuke the question through clenched teeth. "What if it's"  
Before he could say it, he, too, slumped over, an identical dart to Keisuke's lodged in his shoulder.  



	6. 

  
Part 6: The Dark Secrets of Yuriko  
  
The next morning, school was canceled. News traveled of a strange incident where two of the Student Council members were poisoned. Oddly, the poison was not meant to kill, but to be a threat. Kyoko furrowed her brows as she heard it coming from the largest loudspeaker in the Ohtori office. How weird, she thought, poison is usually meant to be fatal. Almost smiling, she wondered if it was Megumi. That girl was just nuts! Seeing as she had nothing better to do that day, Kyoko put on her Student Council uniform. After all, after the arrival of her Student Council uniform, her normal uniform was confiscated by one of the maids. She had tried to pry it away from the fat woman's hands, stating that she couldn't wear one uniform for five days straight, but the maid refused to listen. Speaking through pursed lips, she told the upset Kyoko, "The uniform will be washed every single day. Whenever you get home, take it off, change into something else, and I'll come to take it to the dry cleaners." Kyoko had wanted to protest, "Why do YOU have to come?!" But she kept her mouth shut.  
Kyoko softly closed the door to her dorm. She didn't want to arouse any of her dorm-mates, because they always whispered things about her. This time they would most likely say, "Kyoko went out at seven in the morning today! She probably went to conspire with Akio-sama's weirdo visitor. They're probably planning to bomb the school and to poison the rest of the Student Council!" Kyoko left them to their stupid fantasies. Fools.  
Actually, Kyoko didn't even know why she was going outside. To take a walk, maybe? Or was it just on a whim? Somehow, her legs carried her to the glass greenhouse that Anthy had taken her to on her first day at Ohtori. It had only been a few days at this school, and all these weird things were happening already! Maybe I'm a curse, Kyoko thought to herself, amused. Then again, eerie things had occurred when the famed Utena Tenjou attended Ohtori, as well.  
Kyoko stopped suddenly. The glass greenhouse was no longer empty and full of weeds. They were all pulled out. The glass was still clouded over, and the wire frame of it was still rusty, but the roses were oddly in bloom. How the heck had they bloomed in a matter of two or three days?! And, there was someone in there, watering the beautiful flowers.  
"Yuriko?" Kyoko asked herself. She felt that she should leave the Rose Bride to herself, but her curiosity got the better of her. Carefully striding to the greenhouse, Kyoko peeked through the only pane of glass that was cleaned. She wasn't trying to snoop or invade others' privacy, but all these mysterious events had happened so quickly that everything was necessary to be investigated.   
Yuriko was wearing her teal, white, and red school uniform, and dull black shoes were on her feet. Her hair was still in that elaborate hairstyle with the hairpins. Yuriko was smiling to herself gently and watering the roses as if they were her favorite passion. However, there was something odd about those roses. Perhaps it was because they were either red, black, or white, and extremely thorny. Kyoko had heard from Keisuke sometime after the Student Council meeting that each duelist, when they were dueling, had to wear a rose of their color scheme. Keisuke had then smiled at Kyoko and said, "You have a pink rose. It fits you so perfectly, because you are so beautiful." Kyoko blushed with embarrassment as she watched Yuriko, thinking of how she had retorted it off and stormed off angrily. Romance... she knew that she could never accept it. It wasn't entirely due to her personality; also, past events had triggered this thought. A tear nearly came to her eye. Shaking her head angrily at such weakness, Kyoko resumed watching the lovely Rose Bride.  
Yuriko placed her index finger onto a humongous black rose; the largest of the patch. She kissed it gently, and it seemed to bloom even larger. Simultaneously, all the other black roses of the patch bloomed larger as well. Kyoko covered her mouth in surprise. Maybe this was one of the reasons the Student Council members dueled for the Rose Bride: she had a power that would be used to their advantage! Little did Kyoko know that her "lucky guess" was actually reality.  
Yuriko repeated the process of making the roses bloom as Kyoko watched anxiously. Even if Yuriko's usage of magical power doesn't seem very dangerous, it will still be bad if I get caught, Kyoko thought grimly. Who knew what Yuriko could do?  
Suddenly, Yuriko slumped to the floor, choking with pain. Beads of sweat hung on her forehead damply. Her deep green eyes were bulging with strain as she doubled over, coughing. A blackish-pink light surrounded her faintly. Kyoko wished that she could just run in and hold Yuriko tightly. Then, she thought, No, if I do that, it would show my emotions. EMOTIONS ARE WEAKNESS. Besides, she'll know that I was watching her... She shook her head and kept on watching Yuriko.  
Finally, the light managed to diminish from the Rose Bride's body, and Yuriko, even paler than before, pushed herself up from the floor. Heaving another racking cough, Yuriko wiped a tear from her eye and touched a rose. She smiled at it like a mother would to a child, and started to walk towards the door of the greenhouse.   
Kyoko panicked. She didn't want to get caught, now did she? Looking in all directions, she ran towards the cafeteria as fast as she could. As she was running, she didn't notice Yuriko staring after her with a slight smile on her pallid face. She laughed, a light, hollow laugh came from her perfect lips. Then, she walked towards the cafeteria for her lunch.  
  
  



	7. 

Part 7: The Rose Destiny That Binds  
  
"Look, there's that freak of nature, Yuriko," Whispers resounded throughout the cafeteria, "She's sitting all by herself. That's probably because she has no friends." The students of Ohtori gossiped quiet enough so that they couldn't be heard by teachers but loud enough to crush Yuriko's heart.  
Kyoko was furious. Sure, she didn't have the outgoing and open personality of her famed cousin, Utena, but she sure stuck up for those who needed salvation and desperate help. Yuriko was staring at her little bento box of sushi, not moving an inch. Kyoko was sure that at any second, Yuriko would cry. Thus, she stomped over to a girl with blond hair and dropped her bento box right on top of the table she was sitting at. The blond girl looked up with a furious glare, and scowled, "What are you doing here, weirdo? Who invited you?"  
"I'll tell you why I'm here, little miss Kawakami! First of all, don't call me weirdo. Second of all, why can't you leave Yuriko alone? If you tease her endlessly like that, you're a freak of nature yourself. So leave her alone, got it?" Jabbing her finger at the scowling blond girl forcefully, Kyoko continued, "She may not be that popular, but that doesn't mean that you can goddamn speak about her like that, you stupid bitch!"   
The tall brunette girl sitting next to the blond girl stood up abruptly and slapped Kyoko soundly across the face. "You've got guts, speaking to Mari-san like that. Yeah, she started all the rumors, but why do you even give a damn? Just mind your own freaking business and leave us to ours, Kyoko. If you like Yuriko so much, why don't you go sit with her?" Kyoko held her hand to her stinging red cheek and counter slapped the brunette girl so hard that she fell over. "Keep your fat-ass mouth shut, Minato." Then, she walked over to Yuriko and sat down in the seat across from her.   
"Why, thank you, Kyoko-sama for standing up for me like that." Yuriko replied softly while still looking down at her food. Kyoko looked at her quizzically and said, "You don't need to thank me. Besides, maybe you should eat your food soon. Lunch break is over in less than ten minutes." Gently smiling, Yuriko placed her hand on Kyoko's and murmured, "If I were you, I would get away from me. I wouldn't want your reputation to be ruined."  
"As if I even have much of one," Kyoko grimaced. "Even though I'm on the Student Council, nobody listens to me anyway. I'm just the reclusive new girl with an attitude, good grades, and shocking archery abilities. Neither of us really has any friends." Giggling slightly, Yuriko held out a white rose to Kyoko.   
"Why thank you." Kyoko took it from Yuriko's slender fingers. Suddenly, the sharp thorns of the rose pierced her fingers, and she dropped it. Cursing, she nursed her bloody fingers.   
Yuriko sat in her seat, as still as stone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you a sharp rose." Waving her hand nonchalantly, Kyoko said to the Rose Bride, "It's alright. It was my fault anyway for being so careless. Don't bother blaming yourself." Yuriko looked as if she was about to say something, but suddenly closed her mouth once she saw Megumi coming towards them.  
"So, Yamada, you're here too." Megumi sneered contemptuously as she crossed her arms and raised her thin eyebrows. "Don't try getting too familiar with MY Rose Bride. Yuriko belongs to me. My possession." Leaning over, Megumi grabbed Yuriko's arm and started to pull her urgently, in the opposite direction that Kyoko was standing. "Next time, when we encounter each other, we WILL duel." With a final toss of her hair, Megumi walked away, still dragging Yuriko along with her.  
"Who does she think she is?" Kyoko mumbled darkly to herself. "It's not as if she's much better than the rest of us, anyway." Crud! She was going to be late for sketching class if she didn't hurry up soon. Jumping up quickly, she grabbed her school-case and ran off towards her next class.  
Unfortunately, she couldn't concentrate during sketching class. Nor any of the others following it that day, either. She would always look towards Keisuke's empty seat and think of the boy. He isn't going to die, she thought worriedly, so why am I so worried about him?   
  
*****  
  
Yuriko sat in her dorm room, running her perfect fingers over a black rose. All around her, roses bloomed, and the beautiful scent of roses filled the room. There was a black rose on her desk, a black rose on her windowsill, a black rose on her night table… Anthy liked roses, but this obsession was going too far! Despite the overpowering scent of roses, Anthy leaned forwards and held Yuriko's hand tightly.   
"Don't worry about it, Anthy-san. It's going to work out well," Yuriko returned a hand squeeze on Anthy's dark hand. "We are bound by the roses; Kyoko and I."   
"Ah, yes," Anthy murmured quietly. "It is going to come. Utena has had her revolution already. It is time for Kyoko's and mine."   
"Nothing can fail. Yours and Kyoko-san's revolution is the Rose Destiny. It is the Rose Destiny that binds. And I am part of it."  
"Yes. You are the puppet."  



	8. The Key to Revolution

Part 8: The Key to Revolution  
  
"Um, I'm a visitor for Keisuke Itoh," Kyoko muttered to the jumpy nurse in front of her. She held a small bouquet of white roses behind her back as she looked around uneasily. All around her, girls were weeping and their eyes amusingly reminded Kyoko of cherries. After all, they were red. And weren't cherries red?  
"Just one second, hun." The nurse ran off to speak with another nurse, and that nurse ran off for Keisuke's hospital room. Kyoko was a bit nervous about visiting Keisuke. Just several days ago they weren't exactly on friendly ground. Looking down at her feet, she wondered if he was all right. I'm not in love with him, she thought to herself, I'm NOT! I'm just worried, that's all.   
"This way, dearie," The nurse was back, and she dragged Kyoko with her by the elbow. Willingly Kyoko submitted. However, by the time she got to Keisuke's hospital room, she was wishing that she hadn't. Every second a wave of pain shot up her arm and into her head.   
"Kyoko, didn't think I'd see you here," Keisuke smiled faintly. "I thought that you hated me with every ounce of passion you had."  
"Well... I wanted to see if you were, um, all right." Kyoko fidgeted as she tried to think of something nice to say. Unable to think of anything at the moment, she thrust the roses in front of her. "Here, Keisuke. For you."   
"Roses?" Keisuke raised his eyebrows. "Reminds me pretty much of the duels. Are you suggesting something?"  
"No!" Kyoko didn't even think that the roses would provoke such an answer. "They're just a get-well gift. There is no secret meaning in them."  
"Oh well. Still, thank you." He smiled at her so sweetly that she almost melted. With a jolt, she stood up straight and reminded herself that she did NOT love him. However, looking at him, lying in the hospital bed so weakly caused her eyes to become soft and her mouth to smile. Keisuke noticed this, and immediately held up his hand to wipe away a tear that Kyoko herself hadn't even noticed. Gasping, she stepped back. Nobody, NOBODY had ever touched her so gently before, if she counted the time when her father had given her a lighter beating than usual.   
"Keisuke!" The boy's name was the first thing that came to her mouth.  
"Yes?" He smiled.  
"You-I-eh-um-"  
"It's all right. I suppose you want to get back to your dorm now. Don't spend all Saturday morning at my bedside, all right? But thanks for the roses." Keisuke waved Kyoko out of the room with a gentle grin. She backed away anxiously, still unsure if she should stay by his side or not. However, rational thought prevailed and she let the hurtful nurse drag her back into the main lobby. Sadly, a cherry-eyed girl with blonde hair spotted Kyoko. Crud. It was that Kawakami Mari again. Oh, no...  
"Kyoko! You're such a- a-UGH! First you speak to me like I'm shit, then you slap Minato, and then you go visit Keisuke-sama without even sending a message first! Who do you THINK you are?!"   
"Shut UP, Mari. Besides, you ARE shit, you know that? And besides, YOU were the one who was treating Yuriko like human manure, so YOU should talk! Also, I don't need to send a message first, and neither does anyone else. Not everyone lives by your rules, Mari." Kyoko turned her back to the seething blonde and walked out of the hospital as if the conversation had never taken place. However, she didn't get far.  
"Yamada, you know that time when I said, 'I'll be taking it back?' Well, this is the time. Find your bows, find your arrows, and find any weapon! Right now we'll be having a duel, got it?" Megumi's voice was smug. She held out a black rose to Kyoko. "You should not pass up this opportunity to embarrass yourself, Yamada. I'll be waiting in the Dueling Arena." With a jerk at Yuriko's arm, she strolled away.  
If Megumi wanted a duel, it was fine with Kyoko. Running as fast she could, she ran towards the Ohtori Weapons Center. After all, wouldn't she need to borrow some knives for the duel?  
Even though Kyoko had sped towards the Dueling Arena in order to get there before Megumi did, she still ended up in last place. A purple-clad figure was already waiting near the entrance of the Arena. Once she spotted Kyoko, huffing and puffing, she sauntered towards her and snapped her fingers. Immediately Yuriko was at her side.   
"For you, Yamada, a white rose. For me, a black rose." Megumi replied without looking at either of the two girls.  
"But why do I get a white rose? Shouldn't it be pink? And shouldn't yours be purple?" Kyoko was confused. Something wasn't right.  
"Ha, your admirer didn't tell you, did he, Yamada? Keisuke told you that the duelists get roses of their own color, didn't he? Well, the rules have had a bit of a change. Keisuke hasn't dueled for a while now." Megumi's answer wasn't very clear.  
"You see, Kyoko-sama, Megumi-sama has bound herself entirely to the will of the black rose. She has..." Yuriko didn't get to finish, because Megumi slapped Yuriko viciously across the cheek. "Shut up, Yuriko. I didn't ask you to tell that. And the only person you should call 'sama' is I. The duel will be prolonged. Every second, every minute, and every hour must go perfectly. The times of each duel must be exact to the ones recorded in the last revolution."  
The last revolution? Kyoko wondered. By any chance, was Megumi talking about the revolution that Utena started?  
"Begin." Megumi signaled the start of the duel by holding out her rapier in the beginning pose for fencing. "The only rule is that the winner must be the first person to cut off the rose from his or her opponent's chest. No other rules. Use as many weapons as you like." Right after those words were said, she thrust her rapier forward.  
Anticipating this, Kyoko leaped aside and held out a stiletto in front of her. With lightning speed Megumi slashed, and Kyoko just barely parried it, for it was strong and quick. Again, Megumi slashed, on the opposite side, and once again, Kyoko blocked it.  
"Quit playing defense and fight already!" Coldly snarling, Megumi jutted the rapier forward. Kyoko dodged under it and slashed upwards with the blade of her knife. Its tip barely missed the rose, for it cut off the tip of Megumi's braid.  
"Why you...!" Megumi, enraged, thrust her rapier so hard that it knocked the stiletto out of Kyoko's hands. "Not so mighty now, eh Yamada?"  
Immediately another stiletto, identical to the one before, slid out of Kyoko's left sleeve and into her waiting hand. Without even waiting for Megumi's reaction, she flung it just above the purple duelist's pale hand, on the hilt of the rapier. The accuracy and force of the flung stiletto knocked the rapier out of Megumi's hands. Her eyes turning an evil reddish-blackish color, Megumi cursed and grabbed a dagger out of her pocket.  
"See? I have one, too!" As she diabolically laughed, Megumi sliced, thrust, and stabbed with the dagger, and Kyoko frantically blocked each blow. Then the positions were reversed, with Kyoko playing offense and Megumi playing defense. This went on for several minutes until finally Kyoko decided that it was enough. Leaping into the air, she aimed and threw her stiletto at Megumi.  
Megumi's shocked gasp signaled what had happened.  
Her rose lay on the ground, with a stiletto smack in the middle of it.   
Before Kyoko or Yuriko could say anything, Megumi sprang up and found her rapier again. "Fuck, I really don't care if you cut off my rose first! I still won't lose to a person like you!!!!" And she charged with the point of the rapier in front of her.  
"Damn," Kyoko leaped aside, finding another stiletto inside her right sleeve. She readied the point of her longest stiletto in front of her in "guard" position as Megumi did the same. They charged towards one another, points first.  
Megumi's second gasp signaled her defeat as the hairs of the bottom half of her braid fell to the ground like limp grass. She was just about to strangle Kyoko herself when-  
"Nine minutes, sixteen seconds," Ryunosuke's voice came from above. Kyoko and Megumi quickly looked up to see the blue-haired Student Council member announcing the exact time the duel went on for. "Perfect," he said as he read his stopwatch and copied some notes down into a notebook.  
Seeing that Ryunosuke was now watching them, Megumi flung the rapier down on the ground and stormed away. Her eyes, no longer reddish-blackish but still evil-looking, told Kyoko that they would sometime duel again.   
Kyoko thanked Ryunosuke as she amazingly watched Megumi's rapier dissolve into a sparkling pink metallic liquid and speed back into Yuriko's waiting hands. Then, Yuriko looked into Kyoko's eyes and smiled as she said, "I am the Rose Bride, Kyoko-sama. From now on, you are my master and we'll be living in the same dorm."  
Kyoko couldn't have been more surprised.  
Meanwhile, Anthy watched Yuriko and Kyoko walking back to Yuriko's dorm room to pack up her possessions. A faint smile curled on her lips as she faintly uttered, "The key to revolution is now in the hands of its owner."  
  



End file.
